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R4 JEL

1997 MG Mgf

Green Petrol 1796cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires25 Sep 2026
Tests25 (19 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate76%

Mileage

70,839 mi
Last recorded70,839 miles
Recorded on9 Sep 2025
Typical for 1997 MG Mgf71,264 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this MG
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationR4 JEL
MakeMG
ModelMgf
Year1997
ColourGreen
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,796cc

All premium checks include

50+ data points
Finance Check (Experian) Insurance Write-off Salvage Auction Stolen Check Previous Owners Ex-Taxi, Police, NHS Mileage Anomaly Import / Export Scrapped Check Plate Changes

MOT History

19 pass 6 fail
Pass 9 Sep 2025 70,839 miles

Offside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Pass 26 Sep 2024 70,087 miles
Pass 1 Sep 2023 69,830 miles
Fail 30 Aug 2023 69,820 miles

Electronic power steering not working (2.6 (c))

Electronic power steering warning lamp indicates a system malfunction (2.6 (a))

Nearside Front Brake hose ferrule excessively corroded (1.1.12 (f) (i))

Nearside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (3.5 (a))

Offside Front Brake hose ferrule excessively corroded (1.1.12 (f) (i))

Offside Rear Outer Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords wall deep perishing (5.2.3 (d) (i))

Offside Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (3.5 (a))

Nearside Rear Outer Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing wall perished (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Pass 23 Aug 2022 69,051 miles

Battery insecure but not likely to fall from carrier (4.13 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Fail 23 Aug 2022 69,051 miles

Battery insecure but not likely to fall from carrier (4.13 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (4.5.1 (a) (ii))

Pass 1 Sep 2021 68,304 miles
Pass 4 Sep 2020 67,448 miles

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

corrosion at rear underside

Fail 3 Sep 2020 67,444 miles

Offside Parking brake inoperative on one side (1.4.1 (a))

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

corrosion at rear underside

Pass 11 Jun 2019 67,435 miles

Offside Rear Service brake binding but not excessively (1.2.1 (f))

Oil leak, but not excessive selector shaft on gearbox (8.4.1 (a) (i))

exhaust deteriorated

offside rear caliper corroded/deteriorated

underside covered in under seal / wax oil

Pass 5 Jun 2018 67,334 miles

exhaust deteriorated

underside of vehicle covered in wax oil

Pass 13 Jun 2017 67,264 miles

Nearside Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Offside Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

brakes holding on slightly

coolant pipes running from front to back corroded in places

offside rear sill end corroded and holed

rear exhaust deteriorated

slight gearbox oil leak from selector seal

underside covered in wax oil

underside of vehicle components starting to corrode

Pass 22 Sep 2015 67,043 miles

rear exhaust deteriorated

Nearside Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Offside Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

coolant pipes running from front to back corroded in places

slight gearbox oil leak from selector seal

underside covered in wax oil

Pass 19 Sep 2014 66,874 miles

Nearside Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Nearside Rear Tie bar/rod rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Offside Rear Tie bar/rod rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

exhaust slightly deteriorated in places

Pass 3 Sep 2013 66,729 miles

coolant pipes running under vehicle corroded in places

exhaust system slightly deteriorated

Pass 5 Sep 2012 62,514 miles

ADVANCED CORROSION TO REAR SUBFRAME

O/S/F TYRE WORN ON INNER EDGE & CLOSE TO LEGAL LIMIT

Fail 30 Aug 2012 62,511 miles

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Nearside Front Sub-frame corroded and seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

Nearside Headlamp excessively deteriorated so that the light output is severely reduced (1.7.5a)

Nearside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Front Sub-frame corroded and seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

Offside Headlamp excessively deteriorated so that the light output is severely reduced (1.7.5a)

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

ADVANCED CORROSION TO REAR SUBFRAME

Pass 8 Aug 2011 54,192 miles

Exhaust has part of the system slightly deteriorated (7.1.1a)

Nearside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Rear Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Pass 26 Aug 2010 47,847 miles

Front Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

Nearside Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

Nearside Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

Offside Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

Offside Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Rear Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

Pass 24 Aug 2009 43,123 miles

Nearside Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

Pass 3 Sep 2008 39,654 miles

Nearside Headlamp damaged but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

Nearside Headlamp not in good working order but not adversely affecting beam image (1.2.4a)

Fail 8 Aug 2008 39,624 miles

Offside Front Sub-frame attachment bracket/mounting damaged and its strength is seriously reduced (2.4.G.1)

Offside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Nearside Front Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

Pass 16 Jul 2007 35,857 miles
Fail 12 Jul 2007 35,670 miles

Offside Rear Brake clevis joint has restricted free movement (3.5.1k)

Nearside Front brake disc excessively pitted (3.5.1h) DANGEROUS

Offside Front brake disc excessively pitted (3.5.1h) DANGEROUS

Pass 17 Jul 2006 30,807 miles

Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Front brake disc slightly scored (3.5.1h)

How Reliable is the MG Mgf?

Based on 546,238 MOT tests across 40,565 vehicles.

66.7%
Pass Rate
2,116
Miles/Year
31
Year Lifespan
40,565
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 37,610
Parking brake: efficiency below requirements 32,964
Track rod end ball joint has excessive play 24,147
Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive 23,285
Brake pipe excessively corroded 21,602
Full MG Mgf reliability report

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R4 JEL is a 1997 MG Mgf in Green with a 1,796cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 76%.

Across all 1997 MG Mgf models, the average MOT pass rate is 64.0% with a typical mileage of 71,264 miles. This particular vehicle has performed better than the average for its year.

The most common reason a MG Mgf fails its MOT is tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, accounting for 37,610 recorded failures. If you're considering buying R4 JEL, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The MG Mgf typically stays on UK roads for around 31 years. At 29 years old, this MG Mgf is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of R4 JEL?

You can check the full history of R4 JEL by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R4 JEL registered?

R4 JEL is a 1997 MG Mgf, first registered on 1 August 1997.

Is R4 JEL safe to buy?

The MOT history for R4 JEL shows 25 tests with a 76% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R4 JEL have outstanding finance?

Finance checks require a premium vehicle report. This checks against all major UK finance providers to see if there is any outstanding finance on R4 JEL. If you buy a car with outstanding finance, the finance company can repossess it.

No warranty or guarantee of accuracy is provided for any free data on this page. The data guarantee applies only to information obtained through the purchase of a full check.